


Mending Bridges

by AlwaysEroticWrestling



Category: All Elite Wrestling, Being The Elite (Web Series), Professional Wrestling
Genre: Eventual Smut, I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing here, Kenny and Adam work through their differences, M/M, Revolution Compliant, Slow Burn, and i was gone after that., i don't make the rules., i said slow burn but i'm a liar., let me just fill a hole here., one of my friends said that the horseshoe on hangman's shirt is just an upside down omega symbol., things are going to get spicy.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-10
Packaged: 2021-02-23 05:14:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23006293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlwaysEroticWrestling/pseuds/AlwaysEroticWrestling
Summary: The cold spike of terror in his stomach only lasted for a brief two seconds when Kenny turned himself around and saw Hangman looking at him like that. After the match they just had, the hell they’d been through, together, Hangman was looking at him and Kenny felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up. He wasn’t stupid. He’d been in spots like this before. This would be the perfect opportunity for Hangman to tell him to go fuck himself and put that final nail in the coffin.--Kenny and Hangman touch hands over the rift created between the two of them. Where the mending of their bridge will take them, only time will tell. This is set post-Revolution!
Relationships: Kenny Omega/Adam Page
Comments: 31
Kudos: 85





	1. Something New

**Author's Note:**

> To be honest, I'm not 100% sure where I want it to go except that I want Kenny and Hangman to smooch. This is set directly after Revolution. That match was incredible. The storytelling was absolutely amazing. And I'd be a fool not to take advantage.  
> Anyway.  
> Please enjoy!  
> I have no idea what I'm doing. 
> 
> -Mod Captain Dick

The cold spike of terror in his stomach only lasted for a brief two seconds when Kenny turned himself around and saw Hangman looking at him like that. After the match they just had, the hell they’d been through, together, Hangman was looking at him and Kenny felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up. He wasn’t stupid. He’d been in spots like this before. This would be the perfect opportunity for Hangman to tell him to go fuck himself and put that final nail in the coffin. But he sat on those ropes instead and gestured for Kenny to come with him, and the terror and harsh sting of betrayal eased into something a little bit slower. Kenny was tired. And hurt. Not just in a physical sense, but in an emotional sense too. He was drained. Hangman looked at him and beckoned at him to follow him and Kenny couldn’t help but feel like this was the easiest option. 

Hangman slung an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close and the exhaustion hit harder than it had in a long time. Kenny nearly stumbled, but his free hand moved to wind around Adam’s waist to keep himself upright as the two of them made their way down the ramp, the thundering crowd ringing in their ears. Adam pressed his lips into the damp mass of curls at the top of his head and the two of them stumbled back into the locker rooms. 

Really, he should feel accomplished. The two of them had managed to retain those belts against what Kenny himself had referred to as the best tag team in the world on multiple occasions. So what did that say about himself and Adam? Did that make them the best? There was more too, of course, than just that to think about. 

The two of them sunk onto one of the couches, the heavy weight of the belts landing on their thighs. That was almost comforting. Kenny’s fingers dug into Adam’s side in a squeeze as Adam’s arm remained looped around his shoulders. They were quiet, the two of them breathing heavily, bodies tingling and beating back soreness with that pure adrenaline. 

It hit him rather suddenly. Like a chop to the chest. Or several in a row. Kenny hung his head. Adam didn’t say anything but he seemed concerned enough to squeeze his shoulder a little more.

Matt and Nick had held his wrists and let him sit there defenseless. His best friends. They looked him right in the eye and gave him the Golden Trigger. And it felt like a betrayal. It wasn’t like Kenny was expecting them to go easy. They earned the ‘best tag team in the world’ title a long time ago and Kenny knew better than to underestimate him, but that… That was crossing a line. That was a little too personal. That was more than just the two of them trying to win the tag titles from himself and Hangman. 

Kenny’s mouth was uncomfortably dry. 

At the moment, he felt a little sick. Hangman smelled like sweat and cheap beer and victory and Kenny would be lying if he said he wasn’t impressed with the way he executed that One Winged Angel, even if it didn’t end the match like it should have. Kenny was okay with that. He was okay with a lot of things. The bitterness had crept in and settled in his chest, setting up camp rather efficiently. Briefly he considered if this is how Hangman had been feeling the last several months. 

“Hey,” Kenny murmured as he passed his free hand over his face a few times, “You did good out there.” 

“No.” The confusion on Kenny’s face must have been pretty apparent because Adam quickly followed it up with, “We did good out there.” 

Despite the fear that Hangman was going to turn on him only a few minutes ago, Kenny smiled. Because the ‘we’ felt good. It felt right. Kenny hadn’t had this much fun with a partner in a while. He supposed it was overdue. Hangman’s smile was genuine for the first time in a while and it warmed Kenny’s heart in a very particular way. “Yeah. Yeah we did.” 

There was, no doubt, more that needed to be said, but for now the two of them sat in silence as their bodies adjusted to the beatings they’d just taken and dished out. The belts were heavy in their laps. That feeling of accomplishment grew to outweigh the bitterness for the time being. 

Kenny pulled himself off of the couch, unwinding his arm from Hangman’s waist. He held out a hand for Adam as he turned and was a little surprised at the lack of hesitation. This whole thing, Kenny thought, seemed to have brought them closer. Good. Usually, after a big match like this, Kenny would go find Matt and Nick and shoot the shit until it was time to leave and maybe they’d go get dinner or something, but the idea of looking Matt and Nick in the face right now made Kenny’s stomach twist up unpleasantly. 

He just needed a little time. 

They’re supposed to be his best friends and… They weren’t here. And Kenny knew they weren’t going to apologize. And all of this was so very childish. Kenny was tired. And Adam seemed to be in a good mood. They’d fought. They’d won. And Hangman had been the one to do it. Kenny was happy for him. For the both of them. As far as he was concerned, they deserved it. 

“You hungry?” 

“Yeah. You wanna go to-- -”

“I was thinking we could try somewhere new.” And Kenny didn’t hate that suggestion. A smile quirked at the corners of his lips and he offered an approving nod. 

“Alright. You can pick, then.” 

“I already have a place in mind. Let’s get changed and get outta here.” 

Kenny untangled his hand from Adam’s and offered him a wide smile as he slung the belt over his shoulder and made his way over towards his bag. This was good, the start of something beautiful. Or maybe it was the sort of passed the beginning of something beautiful and Kenny had only just woken up a few minutes ago to see it. That was okay too. He could live with that. The two of them changed quickly, forgoing the showers until after dinner. It could wait. Kenny was hungry and needed something to do with his hands and Adam seemed to have the same thing in mind. The two of them met back up at the door and fell into step beside each other as they made their way out onto the Chicago streets, freezing wind sharp on their faces and making their eyes water.

“So. Where are we going?” Kenny’s bag was heavy on his shoulder and he figured they’d be stopping at their respective rooms first to drop their gear off so they could get something to eat unencumbered. 

Adam’s smile was gorgeous and easy as he shot Kenny a look before answering, “I was thinking Five Guys.” 

Unexpected, but not a place Kenny could argue with. He found himself smiling back as he hoisted his bag over his shoulder and tightened his grip on his duffel. 

“Alright. Five Guys it is.”


	2. Two Guys at Five Guys, Being Guys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They were sitting across from each other with an ungodly amount of peanuts between them. True, their food wouldn’t take long, but there was something about taking as many free peanuts as they could that honestly made them feel a little bit more like a team. Kenny knew they’d been doing very well as a team before, but they hadn’t really spent time together like this. They probably should have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I have a vague idea of where I'm going, but we'll see if it makes any sense. If you want to make requests or anything for what you want to see from these two, please feel free. I love a challenge and it might help beef it up a little.   
> Anyway, I'm excited to continue this fic.   
> Please keep enjoying. 
> 
> Thanks!  
> -Mod Captain Dick

They were sitting across from each other with an ungodly amount of peanuts between them. True, their food wouldn’t take long, but there was something about taking as many free peanuts as they could that honestly made them feel a little bit more like a team. Kenny knew they’d been doing very well as a team before, but they hadn’t really spent time together like this. They probably should have. What good team never hangs out? None that he could think of. Kenny rolled one of the peanuts between his fingers and started to shell it before fixing Adam with a curious expression. 

Why hadn’t they hung out?

Was his own head so far up his own ass that he hadn’t even really realized that they didn’t make time for each other? Maybe it was entirely his fault. Maybe they just needed that win last night to make Kenny understand that this was actually fun, and he had a good time with Hangman, and that he shouldn’t be expecting Adam to pull all of the weight. That just wasn’t fair. Of course he’d been distracted by PAC recently and that was definitely something that he would need to address. But for the moment he felt like he’d put that particular feud to rest. 

Now he could focus on this relationship. Which needed more help than he thought it did. And maybe it’d taken getting his ass handed to him on a tarnished platter by his two best friends to make him understand that. 

They weren’t without their problems, of course. Hangman had smacked him around a couple of times. Kenny knew they’d been an accident, but still. And the whole drinking thing was definitely something that tugged on the threads of their friendship and partnership. But as far as Kenny was concerned, they’d already had a pretty decent conversation about it. 

Even if maybe he’d been a little mean. 

Kenny popped the peanut into his mouth and chewed for a moment, letting the silence stretch just a little longer. Shooting Adam a smile, Kenny kicked at him gently from under the table. “Hey. No long faces.” And he meant it. 

Adam glanced up from his particularly difficult peanut and offered Kenny a lopsided smile, “I thought-- - I don’t know what I thought, man. I thought maybe you weren’t going to come with me… I thought maybe we were a team, but… Not a team, y’know?” 

“Yeah… I’ve been a pretty shitty partner.” Kenny held his hand out for the peanut and shot him an apologetic smile. “I don’t know I thought-- - Maybe if I just pretended like everything was fine, it would be.” Honestly, Kenny should know better than that by now.

Hangman handed over the peanut and Kenny immediately started shelling it for him, “I was pretty lousy too, Kenny. I mean-- - It takes two people to be shitty, right?” 

“No… But that’s okay.” With a triumphant chuckle, Kenny handed the peanut, shell free, back over to Adam’s waiting palm. “Technically it only takes one person to be shitty. I guess-- - I should know. Last time I pretended like everything was fine, I nearly lost everything. Again. I thought maybe last time would have made-- - I mean I didn’t expect them to go easy but…” Kenny frowned. 

“You didn’t expect them to pull that shit either, did you?” Adam popped the peanut into his mouth and cast a glance towards the counter. “I’m not trying to say that they’re shitty, ‘cause you wouldn’a been friends with them for what? Ten years? For no reason. But I am gonna tell you that they don’t listen. And I’m gonna tell you that they knew exactly what they were doin’ when they got you like that, Kenny. I tried, months ago to bring up how I was feelin’ but they didn’t give a shit. The only time they started to even care about me at all was when I started drinking. And that doesn’t make a man feel good about himself, y’know?” 

Kenny nodded sagely. Adam had some very good, very strong points. He rubbed at his chest thoughtfully for a moment, chewing the inside of his bottom lip as he tried to sort through some of the things that were coming to the surface. 

Over the general hustle and bustle of the restaurant, Kenny heard their numbers being called, but Adam was already on his feet and gesturing for Kenny to stay where he was. So he didn’t get up, but he did clear an area on the table through the sea of peanuts for their trays. And when Adam sat back down, Kenny’s eyes tracked his movements until he had his burger in front of him. His lips twitched like he was going to say something but thought better of it. 

Adam situated himself in the booth, absently flicking peanut shells to the floor. So far, things seemed to be going okay. He and Kenny had been friends for a long time too, but even so. This felt a little different. Like maybe for the first time in their entire friendship they were doing something for the two of them, and not for everyone else. Or at the very least with everyone else. This, Adam thought almost bitterly to himself, was how it was supposed to be from the get-go. But Kenny had been so involved with Matt and Nick that he seemed to forget everyone else. Except for right now. 

It was a multi-faceted issue for both of them. That’s what Adam was taking away from this right now. Which was okay. It just meant that they’d have to work a little harder to build up those bonds that they were missing. They’d already proven that they could beat the Young Bucks together which was more than Kenny seemed to have ever thought was in their future. That had stung a little. But Adam wasn’t mad about proving Kenny wrong. 

They lapsed into silence again, but it was decidedly more comfortable and when they were finished, Kenny cleared the table and gestured with his head for Adam to follow him back out onto the streets of Chicago. Pulling his sweater around him a little tighter, Kenny pressed himself to Adam’s side as they waited for their ride. 

“We still need to come up with a tag team name…” 

“I’m fresh out of ideas.” 

“I mean-- - Me too, but you can come over and… We have some time before our flights. We can hang out. We probably need to do that anyway, right?” 

Adam chuckled at that. Kenny had a point. They did need to hang out a little more anyway. And if they could come up with a tag team name, maybe that’d make all of this feel a little more real. Maybe it’d make it feel less like something that Kenny was doing to placate him and something he was doing because he wanted to. Adam was already getting the sense that the tide was turning in his favor for the first time in a while. Kenny didn’t have to come with him. Kenny didn’t have to have dinner with him. Kenny could have spent more time with Matt and Nick instead. Kenny could have gone easy on them in the ring, but he hadn’t. And it felt like maybe Kenny was choosing Adam for the first time since things had started getting rocky between all of them.

And that felt good. 

“Alright, alright. You twisted my arm. Can we get dessert?”

“We can get whatever you want.” Kenny would even be willing to order Adam a beer or two if that’s what he really wanted. This felt like a team building exercise that really needed to happen, and should have happened months ago. 

All of this? It felt like the pieces of their tag team puzzle were falling into place. It felt good. Kenny got the door for Adam and the two of them squished into the back of the car, thigh to thigh and in decidedly better spirits than before. Kenny could feel Hangman’s body heat through his jeans where his leg pressed against Kenny’s and it wasn’t unpleasant.


	3. Sleep Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their conversation had devolved into who they thought had a better butt and why and they’d slowly lapsed into silence again. And it wasn’t bad. Kenny spent a stupid amount of time actually looking at Adam, like he hadn’t looked at him before. He should have. But he hadn’t. It just served to let Kenny know even more that he hadn’t been doing what he should be. It was time to get his ass back on track. No more fucking around. 
> 
> Adam finds out something that sends the whole night onto a different track.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a lot of the next chapter sort of figured out but that's about it at this point. I'm working on getting a proper story together but we'll see what happens!  
> Anyway, I couldn't resist this particular trope.  
> And it keeps the story moving. 
> 
> Enjoy!  
> -Mod Captain Dick

For the first time in a long time Adam felt like he was being heard. And cared about. They were stretched out on Kenny’s bed with a notebook between them. Two bowls were stacked on top of each other, each with the dregs of their ice cream sundaes and the singular spoon they’d wound up having to share because Kenny had forgotten to ask for one when they got room service. Kenny had stuffed a pillow at one end of the bed so he could prop himself up, knees bent, soles of his feet pointed towards the ceiling. He propped his head up on his palm, elbow just a little sore from how long it’d been pressed into the mattress. 

Adam was on his back, pillow at the same end of the bed, staring at the ceiling and occasionally tossing their shared pen into the air only to catch it on its way down. They had exactly four tag team names written down and neither of them liked them and they were at a standstill now. Adam’s hair laid out on the pillow like he was some sort of shampoo hair model and Kenny was absurdly jealous even if he didn’t say anything about it. 

Their conversation had devolved into who they thought had a better butt and why and they’d slowly lapsed into silence again. And it wasn’t bad. Kenny spent a stupid amount of time actually looking at Adam, like he hadn’t looked at him before. He should have. But he hadn’t. It just served to let Kenny know even more that he hadn’t been doing what he should be. It was time to get his ass back on track. No more fucking around. 

“What?” The question startled Kenny into looking away, not realizing he’d been staring. Adam studied him right back, brow furrowed in confusion. 

“Nothin’... I guess I just… I guess I just hadn’t really paid much attention. I should apologize. I’m sorry.” They’d already circled the apology drain and Kenny wasn’t keen on putting them right back there, but he couldn’t help himself. “We’re kicking ass and I’ve been pretty checked out. You don’t deserve that.” Especially with the way that Adam had confided in him that he’d been feeling like he wasn’t as good as them, or respected as a member of the Elite. It was clear to Kenny now that everyone had been pretty shitty recently. 

“Stop apologizing, man. I don’t need it. I just need you to be better.” Brutal, but the truth and Adam knew that Kenny needed to hear it as much as he needed to see it. 

Kenny laughed a little at that and offered a nod that suggested he would absolutely be trying a little harder to make this right. And to be better. They both deserved that. Kenny let out a long breath and turned on this back, their empty bowls clinking as the mattress shifted under him. He’d better change the subject for fear of beating a dead horse. 

“Does beer really taste that good? It smells like piss, man.” 

“It’s not so much about the taste, but the experience.” Adam turned onto his side and propped his head up so he could study Kenny as he stared moodily at the ceiling right next to him. “Why’s it so important to you that we have a tag team name?”

“Because we’re a team. I feel like-- - I don’t know. It’s just important that we mesh, y’know? I know I haven’t really been playing the part of the world’s best tag team partner, but if we’re going to own this entire division I feel like we should do it on a unified front. And… I don’t really want to come out with Matt and Nick anymore.” His pride, and his feelings still stung. That wound was too fresh. “And I think if we’re a partnership we should probably be… Partners. Not just… Two guys.” 

That made sense. And the prospect of creating something together instead of just watching from the outside as a good one. Adam smiled, but he was pretty sure Kenny couldn’t see it. That was okay. The smile was mostly for himself anyway. This was turning out better than he could have hoped and Adam had spent months wanting things to be going this well. 

“What was that you said about no long faces?” 

Kenny laughed, shooting Adam a look as he turned on his side to face his partner too. “You got me there.” Kenny stretched, bumping his feet against Hangman’s legs as he settled back onto the mattress. “Alright, man. It’s getting late. How about we put the think tank to bed and revisit in the morning? I think we have a few hours at the airport together…” 

That logic was sound and Adam sat up, nodding his agreement. At least that was until he patted his pockets in search of his room key only to find that his pockets were completely empty. A frown creased his perfect brow that had Kenny looking mighty concerned. He sat up too.

“Uh oh.”

“What uh oh?” 

“I think I left my key in my room, man. We’re going to have to call the front desk and have them let me in…”

Kenny paused, even as Adam stood up and started reaching for his phone. He stuck a hand out to grab at his wrist. “Not so fast, cowboy.” He seemed pretty pleased with himself. 

“C’mon, Kenny. I gotta get into my room.”

“Well yeah, eventually, but you can just-- - Look, we need a team building and bonding experience anyway. What better way to get back in that saddle, forgive the pun, than by having a little sleepover? Come on! I have a nice room. There’s plenty of space.” And it wasn’t like the Elite were not used to sharing beds anyway. The only person who Adam hadn’t shared a bed with was Kenny.

Maybe Kenny had a point. Adam’s hands hung loosely at his sides and his frown eased just a little. “Okay-- - But we have to get up early so I can get in my room and get my shit, okay?” 

“Okay. Plus, no one’s going to be down there right now anyway, right? It’s like 3am.” Another shockingly good point from Kenny, who looked even more smug and pleased with himself than before. 

“Fine. Fine, I’ll stay in here.” It wasn’t like Kenny was trying very hard to get him to stay, but that was okay. He didn’t really need to. He was right. This would be good for them. 

“Yay!” It helped that Kenny looked genuinely pleased as he slid off of his side of the bed and moved to rummage through his suitcase for an extra pair of shorts, “Alright. You can shower first. And you can borrow these. I’ll get us some more dessert.” 

And wasn’t that just how things were supposed to be? Adam smiled to himself as he took Kenny’s shorts and his tank top in his hands and was shoved unceremoniously towards the bathroom. Wasn’t that how things were supposed to be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day? Incredible!  
> Don't get used to it.  
> -Mod Captain Dick


	4. It's Called Brooding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam was towel dry when he exited the steam filled bathroom. He was wearing a soft smile and his hair up in his towel as he made his way back into the main part of Kenny’s room. Adam felt pretty good. Clean. Warm. Comfortable. Kenny’s clothes were soft and freshly washed, which was more than he could have asked when asking to borrow clothes. It was nice. He squeezed the twisted towel on the top of his head a few times before letting his hair down. 
> 
> \--  
> In which, Hangman is beautiful and Kenny's a fucking idiot.

Adam was towel dry when he exited the steam filled bathroom. He was wearing a soft smile and his hair up in his towel as he made his way back into the main part of Kenny’s room. Adam felt pretty good. Clean. Warm. Comfortable. Kenny’s clothes were soft and freshly washed, which was more than he could have asked when asking to borrow clothes. It was nice. He squeezed the twisted towel on the top of his head a few times before letting his hair down. 

Kenny sat on the side of his bed rotating his shoulder a few times with a slight frown on his lips and a towel in his lap. He winced and stopped trying to move it, instead rubbing at his with his opposite hand. Kenny glanced up when he noticed Adam watching him and offered a crooked smile. “Yeah… We gave ‘em hell.” 

And they’d given it right back. 

It especially stung because Kenny knew that Matt and Nick had both known that he’d been having issues with his shoulder recently. PAC had done that. And he hadn’t given it enough time to heal up. Sure he’d tried to make it as easy on himself as possible, but Kenny wasn’t known for slowing down or stopping. Which could often times make things worse. 

Adam frowned, tossing the towel onto the corner of the bed next to Kenny as he moved in to investigate. “How long has this been bothering you, man? Did you see anybody?”

“I’ve been working on it. I tried to go to one of the medics, explained how it was hurting, and he just told me it was fine and to get the hell out to make room for people that were actually injured.” Kenny looked almost sheepish as he stood and shook his shoulder out a little. Adam’s fingers were warm on his skin as they manipulated his shoulder a little and Kenny brushed him off as gently as he could. “I’m gonna take a shower. I called room service. Make yourself comfortable, alright?”

Briefly, Adam considered protesting, but Kenny seemed pretty hell bent on sweeping this whole encounter under the rug. So he put his hands up defensively and took a step back. If Kenny wanted to nurse his wounds like this, he could. But it felt very counterproductive to the whole ‘being a better team’ thing that they’d been previously working for. They might have to have a conversation about it when Kenny came back. For now, Adam sat himself on the end of the bed and occupied his hands with patting the extra water out of his hair and putting it up in a little bun so it wouldn’t drip all over his shoulders. 

And when the knock came, he opened the door and collected their desserts. Kenny had been pretty damn generous. It occurred to him here that he could sneak out and go back to his room if he wanted to. Kenny clearly wasn’t interested in talking about his injury and Adam felt like maybe it’d be easier to just slip out while he was in the shower and not have to try and wade through an awkward bonding period for the next few hours until it was time to get up anyway. He almost stopped the hotel staff, but drew back at the last second. 

He could have gone. But he didn’t want to. Which was weird, because he really should want to. They’d had a nice dinner. Things were looking up. Kenny had seemingly chosen him after their match and was just as pissed off at Matt and Nick as he seemed to be. Even if it was for different reasons.

Carrying the plates to the little kitchenette in Kenny’s suite, Adam contemplated their next steps. And a few other things. It was dark. He was relatively alone, even with the sounds of the shower coming from the bathroom. 

And Kenny’s singing. Adam couldn’t ignore that. He wouldn’t bring it up, but it did put a smile on his lips hearing Kenny belt it out under the spray of the shower like maybe he forgot Adam was there or something. Or maybe he was putting on the show for Hangman in the first place. 

Adam left his cowboy boots by the door, fresh socks stolen from Kenny’s suitcase tucked neatly inside and sat cross-legged on the bed with his cake in his lap. Technically they should hit the gym, but Adam’s body was still stinging from their match and while the shower helped ease some of the soreness it was too late to justify going out and hitting the gym again. He leaned back against the headboard, pillows propped at the small of his back, fork in hand, and studied the opposite wall with actual interest. 

Things were turning around. 

That win had done something for them. Something more than just aggravating Kenny’s injury. 

How long had they been friends? Not as long as Kenny and Matt and Nick had been friends, but still. Long enough. As far as Adam was concerned, they had good chemistry. And he was lucky to consider himself one of Kenny’s friends. Even if things had been a little bit rocky until this evening. 

Part of that, he knew, was his own fault. 

Adam was so lost in thought he didn’t notice the bathroom door open until Kenny was standing in front of him, hair in a towel, wrapped in a bathrobe. Hangman wondered where the hell he’d even gotten the bathrobe because that’s exactly what he’d wanted to do, but he couldn’t find it. Kenny had probably hidden it specifically for this. Adam studied him for a moment, eyebrow raised, fork positioned halfway between his plate and his mouth. 

The wonderful thing about being coworkers was that they’d both seen it all from each other. Every single thing. There was little sense of modesty or shame when it came to bodies when you shared a locker room for as long as they had. Which was exactly why Adam wasn’t too shocked to see Kenny’s bare legs on display. Though he was a little curious as to why Kenny had chosen this exact moment to bare himself in front of Adam. 

Slowly, Hangman took a bite of his cake and leaned back as Kenny, who was wearing perhaps the widest smile he had in a long time, undid the loosely tied belt from around his middle. He blinked, pulling his gaze up from where Kenny’s hands were to his face. Despite the very weird vibes that Adam was getting at this particular moment, Kenny’s smile was infectious. He pursed his lips in an attempt to hold back the delight that was all but radiating off of Kenny. “What’re you doing, Kenny?” 

“Come on, Adam! We have amazing chemistry! You know it. I know it!”

“Okay….”

Kenny made to slip the robe off of one of his bare shoulders, barely keeping it closed over the rest of him. Adam blinked again. “It’s okay, you don’t have to admit it if you don’t want to.”

“I wasn’t arguing… I’m just confused.” 

“Let it happen. It was only a matter of time before we got to this point…” 

“Okay…”

And with that, Kenny shucked the robe from his body to let it crumple on the floor in a damp pile while the wrapped towel on the top of his head wobbled dangerously. Let it never be said that Kenny Omega doesn’t have a flair for the dramatic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's gonna be a really fun chapter after this I promise. As a Kenny stan I feel like I have to apologize. But I'm not going to.  
> I hope you liked that and are gearing up for the next chapter. Because I'm still only 50% sure where I want this story to go. And we're struggling to get there. Thanks for sticking around for the ride. 
> 
> -Mod Captain Dick


	5. That's Anti-Climactic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam couldn’t do much of anything, except watch as Kenny seemingly did a little strip-tease for him. He watched in mild horror as the robe fell to the floor leaving Kenny in… 
> 
> \--   
> I think I'm funny. Anyway. Here's another chapter of some grave miscommunications which seem to be their M.O.

Adam couldn’t do much of anything, except watch as Kenny seemingly did a little strip-tease for him. He watched in mild horror as the robe fell to the floor leaving Kenny in… His shorts? He had his championship belt wound around his middle. Adam wasn’t sure if he was more disappointed or stunned or amused at this point. So he swallowed hard and set his fork down and just fixed Kenny with a look that still came off as thoroughly confused. 

“The Buck’s would have laughed.” Kenny mused, shaking his head in disappointment. His smile, however, told Adam that it wasn’t a dig, just an observation. It still stung a little though and he frowned. 

“At what? You lookin’ like an idiot?”

“Well…. Yeah. I guess you’re right.” Kenny wilted at the thought and moved to collect his own cake from the counter and settle in next to Hangman on the headboard, belt still attached. 

“Should’a just been naked, man.” 

“I wasn’t sure we were there yet in our friendship.” 

It was a kind of honesty that Adam actually appreciated. He smiled to himself, “I’ve seen you naked plenty’a times, Kenny.”

“Yeah, but not in a seductive way.” Kenny seemed to have already gotten over the lack of laughter when it came to his somewhat pathetic show. He grinned as he pulled the towel from his head and shook it out to fold it on his lap. “I wasn’t sure we were there yet. But we could be. I can take my pants off if you want.” He shot a glance towards the bright red clock on the bedside table with a frown. 

They had five hours before they had to leave for the airport and Kenny didn’t think he’d be sleeping any time soon. Adam saw him glancing at the clock and a frown of his own to match slid easily into place. 

“We should probably try to sleep.”

“Yeah.” 

But neither of them seemed too keen on actually trying to sleep at all. Kenny stretched his legs out on top of the comforter and studied the end of the bed thoughtfully. He didn’t know when it happened but Adam slung an arm around his shoulders and Kenny shifted enough to slide his arm around Adam’s waist just to compensate. He didn’t want to think about it, but it kept coming back. That Golden Trigger. His frown turned sour. 

“Stop,” And when Kenny didn’t ask him what he needed to stop, Adam elaborated, “Stop brooding. Seriously. I’m not gonna let that happen again and neither are you.”

Kenny let out a long, pent up breath and his shoulders slumped a little. Adam figured it was time to bring out the big guns and redirect his attention entirely. It wasn’t like Kenny was the only one who was upset about what had happened. They’d won, but it’d been hard fought and Hangman had been dealing with these kinds of feelings for a while now and it just wasn’t fair that he should have to baby Kenny. Matt and Nick had crossed a line with Kenny. A line he knew Kenny thought they’d never cross. But they’d crossed that line with Adam a while ago. 

“Here’s a question for you, Kenny.” He seemed to perk up at that and Adam had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. Now who was being childish? “Why haven’t we ever-- - You know. I mean I know you and Matt and Nick and Cody and hell, even Marty… Everyone’s gotten to-- - So why haven’t I? Why haven’t we?”

It took Kenny way too long to put together what Adam was trying to say. And he was pretty sure he was still wrong. But that didn’t stop him from opening his mouth and promptly inserting his foot, “I was always under the impression that you didn’t want to…”

“I wasn’t trying to give you that impression, I just-- -”

“Is this what all of this broody shit was all about? Seriously?” 

“I mean-- - I just felt like-- -”

“Look. It’s not like I haven’t thought about it, okay. Look at you! You’re incredible! Everyone loves you. It’s been especially hard since we started teaming together. And I know things have been a little rocky recently, but I still think about it all the time. It’s just not the right time right now! I mean look, we’re supposed to be partners! I can’t just-- - If you-- - I guess what I’m trying to say is that if you wanted a match with me, all you had to do was ask! We can book it! It’s just… Probably going to be further down the road. I don’t want to fight you right now… Unless it’s.. I mean we could have a match right here right now. I’m ready to go if you’re up for it…”

That stunned Adam into silence. He opened his mouth a few times to correct Kenny, who was now looking at him with extreme confusion. “I think we’re talking about different things. I just meant that before all of this… I mean-- - You’ve kissed basically everyone. But not me.” At least they weren’t talking about how sad Kenny was that Matt and Nick crossed that line. 

Instead, Adam’s cheeks were warm and bright red and he looked a little bit embarrassed and all Kenny was doing, after this little confession, was staring at him with wide eyes. 

“Oh.” Because that’s really the only word that Kenny could bring to mind to be said in this particular moment. It wasn’t really the most appropriate word either. Because honestly where Hangman was coming from made sense. It hadn’t even really occurred to Kenny until right this instant that he was absolutely correct, too. And the question was a good one. Why hadn’t they swapped spit? 

The silence was borderline uncomfortable and Adam made to get off the bed because he couldn’t help but feel like maybe he’d cast a very uncomfortable light on all of this. He was mentally kicking himself for having brought it up at all. He’d thought it’d be better than dwelling on Matt and Nick Jackson being complete assholes. And clearly, he’d been very wrong. He stood carefully, hating that he was wearing Kenny’s clothes because that meant he’d probably have to prolong the awkwardness. Maybe it was best that they keep their relationship as professional as possible. 

But then, he had a great personal and professional relationship with Matt and Nick and Cody and somehow things weren’t awkward there. Well at least he used to. Adam felt like things were definitely going to be strained now, after that tag match. He stood up, but Kenny’s fingers looped around his wrist gently to keep him close. 

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Adam’s face was a very unpleasant shade of red, but Kenny didn’t seem to mind. Instead he seemed genuinely offended that Adam had tried to leave at all. 

“I was just going to go…” 

“Okay? Why?”

“I clearly-- - I mean I misread a lot of things. It’d probably just be better…”

Kenny let out a long suffering sigh as he let go of Adam’s wrist and moved to pull himself up off the bed so he could undo the belt around his waist. Draping it across the back of the office chair, Kenny moved around to the other side of the bed so he could look Adam in the eye. Kenny crossed his arms over his chest and looked a little bit perturbed that he had to come all the way over here. 

Adam’s heart was thundering in his ears and he was certain his eyes were as big as saucer plates. In an attempt to protect himself, he crossed his arms over his chest too and tried to stare back at Kenny with the same intensity. 

It didn’t work. 

Sometimes Adam forgot that Kenny used to be the leader of Bullet Club. There’s a sort of alpha male energy that Kenny tries to hide behind his goofiness. Most of the time it works. Except for right now. Because Adam felt sufficiently cowed and here he’d been under the impression that the two of them were equals. 

“Well?”

“Well what?” 

“You gonna kiss me or what?” 

This evening, it seemed, was chock full of surprises. Adam jutted his bottom lip out thoughtfully. Kenny seemed sincere. Before Adam could think it through, or at least passed ‘this could make or break us,’ his hands were coming up to cup Kenny’s stubbly cheeks and he was leaning in. 

The last thing Adam cohesively thought before he pressed their lips together, thus sealing their fate, was a very indignant ‘Ah, what the hell?’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotcha again! Aaaah. Please don't kill me. I hope you enjoyed this little chapter. I finally settled on how many chapters I think I'm going to have. I have the next two sort of planned out. Writing is hard you guys.   
> Thanks for sticking with me!  
> I hope I'm delivering what you want!
> 
> If not, too bad!  
> -Mod Captain Dick


	6. Antici--

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hell, as far as he was concerned, they both deserved a little bit of this and honestly, if Kenny was to make a list of things that made tag teams stronger, he would put ‘fucking each other’ at the top of the list. 
> 
> Wasn’t that what the Ancient Greeks did? Or something?
> 
> \--  
> Sorry, not sorry.  
> -Mod Captain Dick

It wasn’t like Kenny hadn’t thought about it. He’d be lying if he said Adam wasn’t handsome. He was beautiful, actually. Kenny felt like maybe he was cheating at life somehow, surrounding himself with strictly beautiful people. And he’d made sure he’d let them all know how he appreciated them. Except, it seemed, for Hangman. Somehow Adam had slipped through the cracks. Kenny hadn’t been lying when he said that he’d thought Adam hadn’t been interested. Sure he’d been talking about wrestling, but it stood for this too. And Kenny had thought about it. A couple of times. More times than was strictly friendly. 

Kenny tapped into something he hadn’t needed to use in a while. If only to get the ball rolling a little bit quicker. Things had the potential to blow up in their faces. And Kenny wanted it to blow up, but in a very enjoyable way for both of them. Hell, he could even convince himself that this would help them find their rhythm again. They’d already proved that they could beat the best tag team in the world, just the two of them. Maybe it was time to solidify that in a more physical fashion between the two of them. Call it celebratory. 

Adam looked at least a little bit like Kenny had said the right things, looked at him the right way. That was good. Kenny hadn’t lost his touch. For a moment, he thought maybe Adam wouldn’t do it and then it would be his turn to turn bright red and embarrassed and hastily excuse himself. That didn’t happen. Adam moved like Kenny had commanded him to as opposed to asking him whether or not he planned on remedying the situation that had recently been brought to light. 

How long had it been since Kenny had even attempted to let himself have a little taste? Too long, probably. Briefly he was haunted by the last time he’d had a wet dream. Adam had been present for that. It’d be embarrassing if Kenny wasn’t thoroughly distracted by the cowboy grabbing his face and laying his lips on him like he’d been dared to. 

Kenny wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting. Maybe he was sort of expecting that Adam would decide that bringing it up at all had been a bad idea and make for the door again. Only he didn’t do that. Instead, Adam took that leap and Kenny found himself wondering if this might be the start of something truly incredible. Hell, as far as he was concerned, they both deserved a little bit of this and honestly, if Kenny was to make a list of things that made tag teams stronger, he would put ‘fucking each other’ at the top of the list. 

Wasn’t that what the Ancient Greeks did? Or something?

He didn’t have long to dwell on it, thankfully. 

Adam smelled like his shampoo and the sample soap that was in the shower and he was warm and inviting and tasted like cake. Kenny could very easily lose himself here. And maybe he would. They both deserved it. 

Kenny’s hands found Adam’s waist, fingers hiking up his shirt a little. Hangman pulled back a little and the two of them stared at each other for a moment. Adam’s lips were slightly parted and damp and Kenny… Well no one ever said he wasn’t a weak man. Kenny wet his lips, gaze lingering on Adam’s lips. It seemed they were at a stand still, but only for a moment. Kenny spoke first. 

“You wanna fool around a little?” 

“Mhm.”

One of Adam’s hands moved to curl around the back of Kenny’s neck, the other inching up into his hair. Kenny thought that was wildly unfair, given how beautiful Hangman’s hair is, even up in a bun like that. One of his own hands moved slowly over the hills and valleys of Adam’s spine to settle rather smugly on the rather significant swell of Adam’s ass. The other moved to pointedly tug on the hair tie holding Adam’s hair up until it came tumbling down, like spun gold, to brush over the tops of his broad shoulders. 

There was an exhilarating feeling that blossomed in Kenny’s stomach and spread giddily to the rest of him, all tingling and warm. They’d sort of been eyeing each other for a while now. They’d just come down from this wonderful ‘we kicked their asses’ high followed by a ‘they crossed a line’ low. Adam was hot and hung and talented. They deserved a little piece of this. 

Call it celebratory. 

Call it inevitable. 

Kenny supposed they’d sort of been working towards this anyway, despite the tensions between everyone recently. And this just served to bring Adam and himself a little bit closer. Kenny carded his fingers through Adam’s now free hair, a smile working its way across his lips. It was crooked and amused, and the sparkle in his eye told Adam that it was anything but innocent when Kenny’s fingers squeezed his ass just a little. 

Stealing himself one, less than chaste kiss, Kenny let his teeth catch on Adam’s bottom lip before he pulled away with an audible wet sound. One half of his smile crept up higher than the other and he pushed at Adam’s chest until he was stumbling backwards. Adam’s knees caught on the edge of the mattress. Kenny’s fingers caught on the collar of the shirt that Adam was borrowing and tugged to indicate that it should be coming off now, thank you very much. 

Adam was quick to listen, cursing himself just a little for not being nearly as accessible as Kenny currently was, in his shorts and nothing else. He tossed the tank top over Kenny’s shoulder and let himself get pushed back onto the mattress, excitement making his eyes glitter in the shitty hotel lighting. 

If there was one thing to be grateful for when it came to seeing so many bodies all the time, it was this. Kenny knew exactly what to expect when the shirt came off. He knew what lurked beneath the shorts that were now hanging low on Adam’s waist. There was no shame in admiring his body spread out on the mattress like that. 

This felt almost like the natural progression their relationship really needed. Sure, Adam had brought it up, but Kenny would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about seeing Adam naked in a less professional setting and this, it seemed, was the furthest thing from professional that he could imagine. 

They were breathing heavy, breath mixing on their lips as Kenny moved to assert himself on the mattress. 

It was like they were holding their breath, both of them sort of waiting for permission to do something, to take that next step and plunge right over the precipice. Kenny’s heart was loud in his ears, Adam’s cheeks were flushed and Kenny was sure that his were too. Adam’s hands found Kenny’s hips, warm on his skin and firm. After a little bit of awkward finagling to get Adam’s head on one of the overly stuffed pillows, Kenny chuckled against the cowboy’s lips as he nudged a knee between his legs and swallowed that quiet noise that all but forced itself out of Adam’s throat with an open mouthed kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, before you come for my head, I needed a little something from Kenny before I could delve straight into the fuccin' okay? Don't kill me. Also I'm writing this at work and I'm scared.  
> Sorry I didn't update sooner. This weekend was a recovery weekend for me and I think I only even looked at the internet for pictures of Kenny Omega to share with a friend and that was like. It. 
> 
> I promise the next chapter will not leave you waiting for 2 days and it will be... Dare I say... Spicy?? I might even have to change it to explicit~ Ooooh~~~  
> -Mod Captain Dick


	7. Pation!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenny’s back was broad and warm under Adam’s fingers. They were both breathing hard, eyes bright, hair tousled in a very appealing way. The sheets bunched unpleasantly at the small of Adam’s back. 
> 
> \--  
> Proceed with caution. Smut ahead!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh. NSFW. I changed it to Explicit. I could probably put it on Mature still but. Eh.   
> Enjoy.
> 
> -Mod Captain Dick

Kenny’s back was broad and warm under Adam’s fingers. They were both breathing hard, eyes bright, hair tousled in a very appealing way. The sheets bunched unpleasantly at the small of Adam’s back. Kenny’s curls stuck straight up in the air where Adam had been gripping them. They both needed a moment, if the way their breathing sounded was anything to go by. Kenny pressed his forehead against Adam’s for a moment as the cowboy’s hands roamed over the expanse of his back. 

Funny, he thought, that it’d taken them this long to finally get together like this. Then again, things lately hadn’t really lent themselves to being in a position to allow for carnal indulgence. 

Kenny had a hand on either side of Adam’s neck as he hovered over him. Adam’s hair was spread out on the pillow and his skin was flushed pink and if Kenny was being honest, he looked very good like this. Under him. On a mattress and not in the ring. Sure he liked having him there in the ring too, but somehow it was just a little bit better like this. He nosed at Adam’s neck, pressing kisses all along the curve of his throat until he reached his chest. 

Adam’s skin was on fire, but in a rather delightful way. Kenny was heavy on top of him, but it wasn’t a problem and he may have pressed himself up against the knee that Kenny had very strategically placed between his legs. His mind was fuzzy at best at the moment, fueled of course by the way that Kenny was making him feel. There was something about having this man’s attention on him that made Adam feel good. Like he was being seen. 

If no one else would pay attention to him… Well he was damn lucky that he had Kenny’s full attention. He highly doubted that Kenny even had the capacity to think about anything except for this. Adam arched his back a little, craning his neck to give Kenny more skin to work with as he made his way along his jaw and down his neck. 

Kenny seemed to have, for the moment anyway, put the more aggressive part of himself away. Adam wondered if that was going to wind up being the key to all of this. He shouldn’t be thinking about these things when Kenny’s tongue is warm and wet and pulling noises from him that he hadn’t even imagined being able to make for a while. 

He seemed pretty damn pleased with himself too. 

Adam would have to revisit this particular train of thought when Kenny’s fingers weren’t dragging down his chest, thumbing briefly over his nipples, to toy with the waistband of his borrowed shorts. 

There was something oddly intimate about the way Kenny’s lips pressed so gently to his sternum. Like maybe Kenny was trying to tell him something. The way his back curved was beautiful though, and Adam found himself settling back more comfortably, intrusive thoughts of more unpleasant things fading into the background. 

Kenny pressed a kiss to Adam’s stomach and finally shot a glance upwards to make sure he was on the right track, even with him all but trembling beneath him like that. His smile was wolfish at best, crooked and smug as he fixed his gaze on Adam’s chin. Adam craned his neck to get a look at him before propping himself up on his elbows for a better view. Kenny lifted a nonexistent eyebrow in query before finally peeling away his shorts. It took a coordinated effort, what with Adam’s legs being long and spread out, but Kenny eventually dropped them over the edge of the bed to join the rather useless shirt that Adam had borrowed on the floor of his hotel room. 

There was a reason, Kenny was reminded, that Adam was called the Hungman for a while. He sat back on his heels, hands spread out on his thighs, an appreciative expression solidly sat square on his face. Seeing Adam naked in the locker room was different than being presented with his cock like this. Mostly because it was very affirming for Kenny to know that the reason that Adam was hard was because of him. 

And there was plenty more where that came from. And if Kenny had his way, there’d be plenty more tonight, even. 

Licking his lips, Kenny let his hands crawl up Adam’s thighs. 

“Hey!” 

Kenny blinked, movements stopping as Adam gestured almost angrily towards Kenny’s own shorts. Another slow smile crawled it’s way across Kenny’s lips and he rolled his eyes playfully as he slid off the bed. This, he thought as he shimmied out of his shorts, leaving them behind with the rest of their discarded clothes, was the show Adam should have gotten earlier. 

But no matter. 

Adam’s legs were parted before he could even dip the mattress as he clambered back onto the bed. Things were headed in a very exciting direction. This would allow both of them to put less than pleasant thoughts and half-had conversations to bed. Kenny’s hands were nothing short of reverent as they spread over Adam’s hips. 

They had fumbled through awkward conversations, confessions, and a strained relationship to wind up here. Kenny wasn’t going to fuck it up just yet. Or ever if he could help it. Adam had been right. This was the start of something. They’d already proven that they could hold their own. What was to stop them from having a little fun? 

He left an open mouthed kiss on Adam’s stomach before he started trailing kisses along the sensitive skin of Adam’s inner thighs. Adam could probably crush his head if he wanted to, but the fact that instead his fingers curled into the sheets and his breath hitched instead made all of this mean a little bit more. After this? There was no going back to ‘normal.’ This would be normal. And that was good.

As Kenny finally circled his fingers around the base of Hangman’s very impressive cock, a myriad of very dirty images started begging to be made a reality. Kenny glanced at the clock just briefly to see how much time they had to thoroughly ruin each other. The noise Kenny drew from Adam was definitely something to be proud of, but before he could set to work pulling more of those from him, Adam spoke. 

It was shaky, but firm. Determined, even. He must have seen Kenny glancing at the clock.

“Oh don’t you worry, Kenny. You’ll get yours too. We got all night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, I pussyfooted around the spice and then I didn't even deliver, but I got excited about the next chapter and I didn't want to spend 3,000 words talking about dicks.   
> Please don't kill me.  
> I love you.
> 
> -Mod Captain Dick


	8. The End?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The room was uncomfortably dark when Adam was shaken awake by hotel staff the next morning. It felt like he’d only been asleep for thirty minutes, which honestly wasn’t too far from the truth. He sat up quickly passing a hand over his face while the other self-consciously tugged the messy sheets around himself a little tighter. He was sore, but in a satisfied sort of way. The man in the hotel suit that had come in to wake him up seemed to feel a little bit awkward and for a moment Adam forgot about why that might be.   
> \--  
> Consider this the Epilogue~

The room was uncomfortably dark when Adam was shaken awake by hotel staff the next morning. It felt like he’d only been asleep for thirty minutes, which honestly wasn’t too far from the truth. He sat up quickly passing a hand over his face while the other self-consciously tugged the messy sheets around himself a little tighter. He was sore, but in a satisfied sort of way. The man in the hotel suit that had come in to wake him up seemed to feel a little bit awkward and for a moment Adam forgot about why that might be. 

And then his cheeks were turning bright red and he was gesturing for the door and vowing silently to leave a rather hefty tip. This wasn’t even his room, and while he doubted that hotel staff was going to talk about this with anyone, while he doubted that they knew who he and Kenny were, it still wasn’t great to forget that he’d ordered the wakeup call. He needed a shower. He needed to get into his room. He needed to get dressed or-- - 

Kenny stirred beside him and finally sat up, blinking tiredly into the half-light of the hotel room. He smacked his lips a few times and Adam had to hold back a laugh. His hair was... To say disheveled would be too tame. 

“Morning, sunshine. I’ve got to clean out my room. I’ll be back in a second and we can hitch a ride to the airport, okay?” 

Kenny’s nod was the only thing that told Adam he’d even been listening. Kenny passed a hand through his mussed hair and let out a disappointed sigh. He’d been perfectly happy tangled up in his sheets, nice and warm and quite possibly the small spoon, though he was sure that Adam wouldn’t say anything about it. 

Adam slid out of bed to start tugging on the clothes he’d borrowed from the night before and Kenny smacked at his ass as he swung his legs over the side of the bed himself. 

“Hurry back. We still have to get a coffee or something.” Because Kenny’s brain was feeling a little too sluggish to properly function. Lazily, he wandered over to the light switch, turned everything back on, and threw the curtains open, all while stifling several yawns in a row. Adam was gone without another word, but Kenny was pretty sure he had his shirt on inside out so that was a little something that brought a smile to his lips. 

He frowned as he started to pick up a little and get dressed. They only had thirty minutes to hit the road and Kenny really should have been at the airport already. The unread 15+ text messages on his phone said as much. For the moment, Kenny pointedly ignored his phone and where it’d been plugged in on the nightstand and went about making sure he had everything in his suitcase and backpack. Whatever wasn’t already folded was tossed into his suitcase. The belt that he’d draped over the chair only a few hours ago was placed carefully in his luggage with a fond little smile. 

They’d earned those belts fair and square. 

Kenny rolled his shoulder, rubbing at it thoughtfully before doing one final sweep of the bathroom, taking the time to brush his teeth before he packed up his toothbrush. The last thing to be packed was his charger cord. He had 5 missed calls too. That’s what he noticed when he unplugged his phone and started rolling up his cord. Kenny stuffed his phone in his pocket and moved to pull his jacket on. 

Adam knocked on the door softly. Politely. Kenny opened it with a lopsided smile and pulled his suitcase behind him so they could walk down the hall together. The elevator ride was quiet, but it wasn’t uncomfortable and Kenny finally had it in him to check his phone. Lots of questions from Matt and Nick about where he was, what he was planning on doing, half-formed apologies that never really landed. 

Kenny scrolled. He had voice mails too, but he didn’t want to listen to them. Adam’s brow furrowed in concern. Kenny must have been frowning something fierce.

“I usually-- - Well when we can, we usually fly together.” But it was twisting his stomach up in knots just thinking about seeing them again. Especially after what they did. Kenny realized he hadn’t even said their names, but Adam seemed to understand. The elevator announced their arrival to the lobby with a quiet ding and Hangman touched Kenny’s hand sympathetically before they piled out to complete check-out and head for the airport. 

Kenny needed a coffee.

Adam needed something stronger. 

It wasn’t until they were thigh to thigh in the back of their uber to the airport that Adam said anything. “You could just… Switch your flight. I mean-- - I got room. And ‘m not sure ‘m quite done with you.” His smile was encouraging. 

Despite the rather heavy weight on his chest, Kenny smiled too. “I don’t know if it’s that easy…”

“Why not?” 

“I….” It bothered him that he didn’t have a better answer for Adam’s expectant expression. 

“Alright then. I’m serious. You don’t-- - We have different gates even. What happened to-- - Listen, you don’t gotta do anything you don’t want to and if you don’t wanna come with me, that’s fine, but you also don’t gotta see those two jack-asses, alright?” Adam was angry. Kenny knew that much. The fact that Kenny was even entertaining the thought of seeing them again after what they did to him, and after what had happened between himself and Adam was nothing short of rude and irresponsible and just plain dumb. 

Kenny had never claimed to be a smart man. 

“You’re serious about-- - Me going with you instead?” 

“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t.” 

“Alright, alright.” Kenny was quick to concede and that frown stretched into something a little more pleasant. “Ah what the hell. It’ll be fun. Right? And we’ll get to train together, which I think will really help our in-ring performance. Look, we dominated the Young Bucks yesterday, but they’re not gonna let us get comfortable.” 

“And we’re not gonna let ‘em forget who got the gold first.” 

“And maybe on the plane we can solidify our team name…” That had absolutely been forgotten. Kenny’s cheeks colored just a little. 

Getting Kenny’s flight switched was easy. As soon as they got to the airport Adam checked his bag and then Kenny’s and they changed his flight and Kenny turned his phone off because Matt and Nick were just going to keep calling. And really, they should know better. They knew what they’d done to him. And Kenny had walked out with Hangman and hadn’t looked back.

And maybe part of him wanted it to sting a little. 

He knew, of course, he’d be coming back. It’d been a while since Kenny had to even breach the subject of who was actually in charge. The Elite wasn’t supposed to have a leader and sure Cody seemed to think he was sort of in charge with his fancy suits and his gigantic ego, but Kenny knew who was actually in charge. And if he had to tap into something he’d buried a while ago to make sure that he and Hangman didn’t lose their current position, he would. 

And hell, maybe they’d deserve it too. 

There are lines that you simply don’t cross. Matt and Nick seemed to not care. And it was Kenny’s turn to bite back for a change. And Adam seemed like he wanted to help. He had his own biting back to do too. 

As they got as comfortable as they possibly could on a crowded flight, smooshed up against the window, Adam held his hand out for Kenny. They laced their fingers together on Adam’s leg and Kenny shot Adam rather pleased smile. It felt good. It felt good to be connected. 

Kenny tuned his music on. 

Adam did the same. 

The side of the plane was cold and when the speakers finally turned off and the plane took to the air, Kenny found his consciousness slipping away just as rapidly as the tarmac had. Soon he was dozing, forehead against the window, hand in Adam’s. 

And as Adam studied the relatively peaceful expression that had fallen across Kenny’s face, he wondered if this was the right move. Hell, they’d had a crazy night. A good one. One Adam wouldn’t be forgetting any time soon. But it felt like stepping into unknown waters and he wasn’t sure he was ready for that just yet. Then again, if he could take something away from Matt and Nick, he would. And if it was Kenny? That was even better. He couldn’t say that out loud, of course, he’d look like an asshole. 

Maybe he was an asshole.

Maybe they were both assholes. 

Either way, this felt like a step in the right direction. Adam felt vindicated. Kenny looked very good sleeping next to him. Adam squeezed Kenny’s hand lightly and was surprised that Kenny squeezed back, despite clearly being asleep. 

Yes this? This was good. Things were different now, but Adam felt like they could handle whatever was thrown at them. They seemed to mesh better than either of them had hoped and last night felt like the start of a new chapter. A better one. 

Adam leaned back in his seat and when the flight attendant came by with the drink cart, he ordered himself a jack and coke and had a nice little drink. And when he settled again, Adam’s free hand settled across his chest and sleep crept up his boots and slithered along his body until his eyelids drooped and he dropped easily into dreamland. It was seemingly populated already, but a very devious looking Kenny and looked promising enough that he didn’t fight to stay awake. 

What the hell did that say about him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter I think and it doesn't even have Spice in it. smh. Anyway. I think I told the story I came out here to tell. It will no longer be haunting my waking hours. Thanks for sticking with me. I know it's another double update but I couldn't help it. The ending was really gnawing at me to finish it. Anyway. Thanks for reading this massive thing that took me a week to write.  
> I appreciate you.  
> You're amazing.   
> Have a great day.   
> As always, if you have anything that you're just dying to see, hit me up. I'm down to try new things!
> 
> -Mod Captain Dick  
> (I love this tag team more than I ever thought I could and I'm already crying thinking about the epic breakup that might be on the horizon. No thanks. Kenny feeding ducks and Hangman egging him on while he yells at Colt Cabana forever or bust.)


End file.
